While it is unclear who the first person to use gold is, studies show that it found in caves dating as far back as 40000B.C. However, we do have firm evidence that way back around 3000 B.C, the Egyptians found it quite useful. They found it so important that the capstones in the pyramid of Giza are made of solid gold. They also used it for status, later used it for currency and in things like jewels and art.
Researches believe that gold originated from collisions of dead stars. The origin of the name is the Anglo Saxon word for the metal and the symbol comes from the Latin 'aurum', gold. That's why it is AU on the periodic table.
Its appearance is a soft metal with a yellow color and it's chemically unreactive. Its uses now are in jewelry, in coins, in art due to it being able to be beaten down into a thin sheet, gears for watches, and ect.
It is group 11, period 6 on the periodic table of elements. Its atomic number is 79, and the atomic mass is 196.967. Its boiling point is 2700 degrees, the melting point is 1064.43 degrees and freezing point is 1064.18 degrees.
Gold is found on every continent except Antarctica. The largest amounts of gold are found in the ocean, but we aren't yet able to extract gold from the sea water. We get most of the gold from mining it.
What makes it special? Gold can conduct electricity, and it also reflects heat and light. Astronauts helmets are coated with a layer of gold to reflect the suns rays.
Some more facts about gold: It's edible because it's not toxic and has no taste, so it is sometimes put in deserts! It is also the only element that is yellow.